Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Rockville Centre, N.Y. - (9/2/2016) – The 2016 women's volleyball season began this evening, as Chestnut Hill College traveled to Rockville Centre, New York, for a pair of matches at Molloy College's Long Island Invitational. First on the docket for the Griffins was Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), who the Scarlet and Gold promptly turn aside in a 3-0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-20) final. Hot off their first win, the Griffins briefly stumbled, allowing the hosting Lions a first-set 25-17 win before rallying for a 3-1 triumph with subsequent victories of 25-16, 25-14, and 27-25. Senior outside hitter Madison McBride (Long Beach, Calif.) powered the two-win effort with 27 kills on an efficient .481 (27K-2E-52TA) hitting percentage, four aces, 22 digs, and a block. She received plenty from her teammate with three other strikers finishing the night with double-digit kills while senior libero Regina Trabosh (Norristown, Pa.) and junior defensive specialist Peyton Reno (Wilmington, Del.) combined for 66 digs.
 
Chestnut Hill College (2-0) trailed SCSU (1-1) for the majority of the Griffins' first match for the Molloy Invitational. The tide turned on a 23-22 McBride kill. The point forced an Owl timeout that failed in its purpose as an attack error gave the Griffins a 24-22 advantage before a kill from sophomore outside hitter Leanna Jadus (Long Beach, Calif.) returned the margin to one point, 24-23. The nail in the coffin was a spike from senior middle hitter Emily Koehler (Bath, Pa.), who finished match with seven kills, five digs, and a pair of block assists. The Scarlet and Gold won the second and third set decisively, leading the Owls by as many as 14 points (17-3) in the second set and as many as five points, 20-15, late in the third set. McBride was the Griffins' top striker with 14 kills on a .542 (14K-1E-24TA) hitting percentage. She added an assist, two aces, 12 digs, and a block assist to the efficient striking. Sophomore setter Kennedy Sutton (Chesapeake, Va.) supplied 34 assists, a kill, two aces, and nine digs to the offense while McBride matched her double-digit kills with a dozen (12) digs as Trabosh and Reno hustled to a combined 28 digs.
 
The Griffins second test of the evening positioned them opposite the hosting Lions. Molloy College (0-2) stole the opening set, 25-17. But the triumph was fool's gold as the Scarlet and Gold convincingly won the second, 25-16, and third, 25-14, sets before edging out the Lions in the fourth set, 27-25. McBride totaled 13 kills on a .429 (13K-1E-28TA) hitting percentage. Again, she added two aces and double-digit digs (10).
 
Junior right side Samantha Gelfan (Chandler, Ariz.) complimented her with 12 kills of her own. Sutton supplied 38 assists, two kills, an ace, and 10 digs. Defensively, Trabosh (21) and Reno (17) paired for 38 digs while freshman outside hitter Reily Byxbee (Indianapolis, Ind.) chipped in with 14 digs.
 
The Griffins return to action tomorrow, Saturday, September 3, when the visit Queens College for respective 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. matches against American International College and the hosting Knights.